Foot mats or floor mats are generally placed in the foot space of motor vehicles in order to protect the floor from dirt and damage. However, such foot mats can slip, which may lead to safety risks, in particular at the driver side, if foot mats are able to move below the pedals. This is particularly significant even if the foot mat could only partially block a brake pedal. Therefore, foot mats are advantageously fixed to the floor. To this end, corresponding securing elements are provided on the floor and/or on the foot mat. The main purpose of such securing elements is to prevent a movement of the foot mat. In this instance, however, such a securing element may also bring about a high retention force in the direction of the floor in order, when the foot mat is removed, to produce an impression of high quality.
For example, it is possible to use as securing elements hook and loop fasteners or push-buttons. In this instance, it is known to provide on the floor a plurality of securing elements which have an upper push-button which can be pressed into a corresponding opening on a foot mat. In order to fit such a securing element to the floor, EP 0 211 966 A1 proposes, for example, providing two claw-like fingers on the securing element, by means of which the securing element can be screwed into a carpet provided in the floor region and can be fixed by means of the claws. However, the carpet is thereby damaged and the securing elements can also become loose again by means of rotation in the opposite direction. If they are screwed in again, this contributes to further damage to the carpet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,939 describes in contrast a securing element for floor mats which is securely screwed into the floor. In this instance, the securing element comprises two components. A lower portion is screwed into the floor and an upper portion is connected to a foot mat by means of a clamping device. The two components each have a coupling face on which a plurality of coupling elements are constructed. These coupling elements are formed by means of pins having heads which interlock with each other when the two coupling faces are pressed against each other. Thus, in order to fit the foot mat to the floor by means of the coupling elements as in a hook and loop fastening, a releasable connection is produced between the lower portion and the upper portion. When the foot mat is released, the lower portion remains screwed in the floor whilst the upper portion is removed with the foot mat. However, in particular screwing securing portions into the floor is disadvantageous or under some circumstances not possible at all with floors with a small thickness and/or low rigidity.
US 2009/0235485 A1 describes a securing system for foot mats, in which a two-component securing element is provided on the foot mat and on the floor, respectively. The two components of the securing element of the floor receive the floor in a sandwich-like manner between them and the same provision is made for the securing element of the foot mat. The securing element of the floor formed in this manner can be introduced into an opening in the securing element of the foot mat in order to then rotate a locking element, whereby a connection is produced between the two securing elements. U.S. Pat. No. 8,690,222 B2 describes in contrast two-portion securing elements for foot mats, in which an upper portion can be screwed into a lower portion.
FR 2919540 A1 further discloses a securing element for fitting to the floor which has an upper portion which is constructed to fit the foot mat. This upper portion has a pin which is guided through an opening in the floor. At the rear side of the floor, there is provided a disc which receives the pin in an opening. By means of teeth on the outer side of the pin, the pin can be engaged in different positions with the disc in order to thus clamp the floor between the upper portion and the disc.
Furthermore, in the field of the connection of very thin material webs there are known securing elements which provide in the region of the securing an additional reinforcement in order when the securing elements are separated to prevent damage to the material webs. For example, GB 2 190 130 A discloses such securing elements.
The securing of mats in the foot space of motor vehicles still leaves room for improvement.